THE YOEMEN OF THE GUARD.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 266, 10 November 1888, Page 5

THE YOEMEN OF THE GUARD.

GILBERT AND SULLIVAN'S NE^\ r

DEPARTURE.

[VROM OUR SI'JX'IAI. L'OKKKSI'ONDKXT.]

London, October 3. A seat at the Savoy Theatre on the occasion of the production of a new Uilbert and Sullivan opera has become a prize to u'tjht, to intrigue, to lie, to cry, to Ki^h, almost to ; die for. Everyone who ia anyone wants to bo there, and for wceka beforehand Mr i D'Oyluy Carte becomes almost as important a personage as Mr Augustus Karris or the Shah of i'ersia. The house on Wednesday presented all tho familiar featuies of its fcw-and-far-betweon^m>n'e/m There were the relatives of tho principal performers in ' tho private boxes, the j lung rows of critics 'in the stalls,' society and Bohemia cheek-by-jowl hi the : tlrcss circle, and nn enthusiastic public in the pit. From an early hour in the afteri noon the irrepressible first-nighter, •whom Ino obstacles can daunt, had been patiently | waiting (armed with a camp-stool, a novel, sandwiches, and sherry) at the doors of pifc and gallery. Eight mortal hours must some'of the front row of tho pit have been standing or sitting in line outside, yet there they were now, smiling and triumphant, and utterly regardless of tho inevitable penalty of "a cold in the,head. | We had been warntabeforehand that the " Yocmeu of the Guard" would mark a new departure in Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Top*ytnrveydbm was to be abandoned, the story told would bo a possible story, illustrated by possible characters, and the music would bo of a rather higher cast than Sir A. Sullivan has accustomed ub to in his comic operas. Thoae promises have, on tho whole, been kept, more especially as regards tho music, which i 3 in the composer h beat stylo. The scene of " The Yocmcn of the Guard" is laid in the Tower (a splendid pet) during tho reign of Harry tho Eighth. Here we iind Colonel Fairfax (Mr (Jourtico Pounds), who has been sent to prison for sorcery, and when the curtain rises is about _to bo executed in half-an-bour. If he dies unmarried his money will go to some detested relations; he therefore implores the Lieutenant of the Tower (Mr Brownlow) to find him a bride of some description. Any woman will do. The lieutenant is nt his wits' end, when a travelling Morryman or Jester, one Jack Point (Mr Geo. (irosamith), arrives, accompanied by his sweetheart., a dancing tfirl, Elsie Maynard (Miss Alluifthn). For a hundred crowns Elsie uvvees fclJ become a wife for half-an-bour, the bargain being sealed in st delightful l rio. LIEUT How say you, maiden will you wed, ' A iimn about to lose his head l No harm to you etiu thence arise, In half an hour, poor soul, he dies. For half an hour V'ou'll be n. wife, And then the dower Is yours'for life. This tempting offer Why refuse ? If truth thopoeta tell, Most men before they marry, lo3e iJotli head and lieurt us well! An Temptation, oh temptation, Were we, in truth, intended. To slum, "vvhate'er our station, Your fascinations splendid; Or fall, .wiione'or we yiew you,.. Head over heels into you : Point Though as a general rule of life . I don't allow my promised wife, ' ' My lovely brida ttiat is'Co" be, ' ' To marry anyone but. me, The i:ireunißtanfi& .Of! thin case .'■'■■ May sit such fancies I • Out of tilaco; So, if (ho fee is duly paiti, A nd lie, ia well earned 4?save, VVitbin the hour : iu duly lidd, ' Okioolion 1 will waive I • Jlxx. Temptation, oh temptation, etc. Quite Gilbertian is tho following; dialogue between the Lieutenant and the -Jester, the latter having begged to be "engaged as the former's jnenyman. : , Likut. But I trust yon nve very careful not to rlvo ofiencc. V have (iaughters. Point, fcsir, my jeisls arc most carefully ] scloftetl, and nnytiiing objectionable is expunged. If yom- honour pleases, I will try them llrston your honour's chaplain. Liect. Can you give me an example? Say that 1 had sat me down hurriedly on something sliftrp ( Potnt. Sir, I should say that yon had sat down on tho spur of tho moment. Lieut. Humph. I don't think much of that. Is that the best you can do ? Point. It bus always been much admired, sir, but wo will try again. Likot. Well, then, I am at dinner, and tUo joint of- meat i$ but half, coolted. ;

Point. Why, then, sir, I should say-that what is underdone cuunot be helped. Lieut. I see. I think that manner of thing ■would be somewhat irritating. Point. At first, sir, perhaps; but use is everything, and you would come in time to like it. Lieut. We will suppose that I caught you I kissing tho kitehba wettch under my very nose. I Point, Under ha1 very noso, good sir—not under yours ! That is where / would kiss her. IDo you take me! Oh, six 1, a pretty wit—a pretty, pretty Trit! Meanwhile Sergeant Meryll (Mr E. j Temple), an old retainer of Fairfax's, but i now sergeant of the Yeomen of tho Guard, I lias arranged for the escape of the prisoner i in the character of his son, Leonard Meryll, i wlio somes that day to join the corps. \ Phcelfe Meryll (Mies Jessie Bond) thieves the keys from tbe head gaoler, and smuggles into Fairfax's coll tho Beefeater's uniform. I Presently he emerges, and having been duly j introduced to the guard as young Meryll, walks out oi" the Tower and fcfoapes. In the second act Fairfax, having been pardoned, returns to the To\ver as a handsome stranger j Elsie falls ,in love with him, only to find that he is the husband she so hurriedly espoused in prison, i The number that excited most applause during the eveaing was tho ballad of '.' The Merry Man and His Maid," in the first act, ftung conjointly by jSJr Gro.ssmith and Misa j Uhnar.. A single verse will show the kind ! i of thing : j Point, i have a aoug to sinf,', 0 ! Jif.si v. Sing ma your sciife'. O '. Poivr, II is sung to the moon Uy ii love-lorn loon. Who lied from the mocking throng-, O! I%'h the song of ti morrynian, moping | mum, : Whose soul was sad, whose glance was glum, Wlio sipped no sup, and who craved no crumb, As he sighed for the love of a ladye. lleighdy! heighdy! Misery me, lackadaydee! Ho aipped no sip, and ho craved no crumb, As ho sighed for the love of a ladye. Fairfax has a lovely tenor song neat words set to one of those immortal melodies Sir Arthur occasionally evokes. BALhAD.-FMHVAX. la life a boon'; If so, it must befal That, Death, whene'er he call, Must call too scion. Though fourscore years ho give, Yotonc would pray to Jive Another moon! What kind of plaint have 1, Who perish in July ( f tui)_;ht have had to die, Perchance, in June! la life a, thorn? Then count it not ay/hit! Man i.j well done with it; Soon as he's born lie should all means essay To put the plague away; And f, war-worn, Poor captured fugitive, , My life most gladly give— I niifjht have had to live Another morn ! One of the most amusing bits in the pieceis .lack Point's song, diluting on the sorrows of a, professional jester : If you wish to succeed as a jester, you'll need To consul er each pcraon'u auricular: I What is all rittht for 14 would <iuitt> -scandalise C (for C is so very particular/; j And 1) may bo dull, and X'« very thick skull Ib as empty of brnins ns a ladle; Whilo V is X Bhary, unii will cry with a carp. That he's known yourbestjokefroinhiscrudic! When your humour they ilout, You ctm't lei yourself go; And it docs put you out When a person Bays, li Oil, I have known that old jokadxom my cradle!' If your master is surly, from fretting up curly • (And Lempers (ire short in tho mornitiL-), An inopportune joko is enough to provoke Him, to Kivc yoy, ut, once, a month's warning. Then if you refrain, he is at, you again, For he HkjCa to get value for money. He'll ask tlie'h and there, with an m.solent stare, '• if yoij Jtuow that you're paid to be I'unuy t" Haddsto the task Of a merrynian'a place, When your principal usks, With a dcovvl on his face. If you know that, you're paid to be funny? Comes a Bishop, maybe, or a solemn 13.D.— Oli. beware ot his an^er provoking'! Bettor not pull his hair-don't slick pins in his! chuir: i T[e dqu't understand practical joking. If the jests that you crack have an orthodox: mnack, Yon may (jet a Miuui imiiic from tlic-.i.- yagoo j But should it, by chance, be imported from. France. Hulf-a-crown is stopped out of your wages I Iv'3 d general rule, j Though your zeal it may quench, s If the family fool J. Tells ujoko that 8 too French, Ilalf-a-crowu i» stopped out of. his wages! Though your,head it may ruck with a bilious uttfick, And your senses with toothnche you're losing, Don't be mopyuud liut—they don't line youior that, If you'io properly quaint ar.d am using 1 Tnough your wife ran away with a. soldier that uuy, And took with her your tritle of money: Bless your heart, they don't mind—they're exceedingly kind— They don't blame you—as lonj;as you're funny! It's a comfort to foci If your partner should flit, Though you sutler a deal, They don't nviud it a bit— They don't blamo you—so lougr as you're funny! ; There is also a true Gilbertian. lyric ia the second act dilating on the art of courtin jj. This is set to a rollicking tune and terminates in a lovely dance :— TUlO.—Fatkfax, Elsie, ax» Pikkbe. FaIK. A man who would woo ;v lair maid. Should 'prentice himself, to tho trade; And 3tudy all day, In methodical way. How to (latter, cajole, and pennudc. He should 'prentice himself ar. fourteen, And practice from morning to c'en ; And when he's of age,' If he will, I'll engage, Ho moy capture the heart of a queen! All. It in purely a matter of skill. Which all may aliain if tiiey will : But every .luck, lie must study the' knack If he wunts to make sure ol! his Jill f Etßlffi. If ho's made the best use of his time, Ills twig; he'll so carefully lime That; every bird Will come down at his word. Whatever its plumage a.id clime lie must leapn Unit the thrill of. a touch May mean little, or nothing, or much; It's an instrument rare. To be handled with cure, And outfit to be treated as such. All. It's purely a matter of skill, &c, Pjkk. Then a glance may ?jo timid or free, It will vary in mighty degree. From an impudent staro To ix look of despn ir That no maid without pily can sco; And v )jlunee of despair w no guide— It,may have its ridiculous side; It may draw you v tear Or a box on the ear; You can never he suro till yoxi've tried! All. It is purely a matter of skill, &c.